Discover the Heilenbecke Dam: A natural jewel in the Ruhr area!

Discover the Heilenbecke Dam: A natural jewel in the Ruhr area!

On October 2, 2025, Thomas Ruszkowski, a committed citizen reporter in the region, will ask the exciting question: “Who knows the Ruhr area?” His curiosity leads him to the Heilenbecke Dam, part of the impressive dam system in the Ruhr river system, which fits harmoniously into the surrounding nature. The Heilenbecke Dam was built between 1894 and 1896 and has a storage volume of 0.45 million cubic meters. This structure, like many others in the region, is not only a technical masterpiece, but also a popular destination for nature lovers and those seeking relaxation.

The Heilenbecke Dam is part of a long list of impressive dams in the Ruhr area, all of which play an important role in water supply and landscape management. The abundance of dams, such as the Haspertalsperre opened in 1904 or the Möhne dam opened in 1913, testifies to the engineering skill of that time. Otto Intze, for example, is considered the visionary behind the construction principle of the dams, while Karl Imhoff set famous accents with the initiative to build the river sewage treatment plants in the middle and lower Ruhr. If you look at the numbers, it becomes clear how important these buildings are for the region.

The Ruhverband and its dams

But what makes the dam system in the Ruhr area so special? The Ruhrverband operates eight dams with a total volume of 463 million cubic meters, making it the largest contiguous dam system in Germany in relation to the Ruhr river basin. These dams secure the water supply for around 4.6 million people in the region and at the same time help to increase low water levels in times of low flow.

• Heilenbecketalsperre: Bauzeit 1894–1896, Stauraumvolumen 0,45 Mio. m³
• Haspertalsperre: Bauzeit 1901–1904, Stauraumvolumen 2,0 Mio. m³
• Möhnetalsperre: Bauzeit 1908–1913, Stauraumvolumen 134,5 Mio. m³

The release volumes from the dams are coordinated centrally in the dam control center in Essen, and operation requires extensive technical know-how. In addition to water supply, there are also numerous environmental and legal issues that need to be addressed. These requirements make operating the dams a responsible task that is carried out under strict safety standards.

A look into the future

At a time when environmental protection is becoming increasingly important, the question of sustainable solutions for water supply is of great importance. The Ruhr Association's dams are an essential part of this public service. The new construction and maintenance of dams such as the Heilenbecke Dam show that not only an economic interest is being pursued here, but also a high degree of responsibility towards nature and people.

Considering the many challenges that the Ruhr area has to overcome, it is gratifying to see that local initiatives like that of Thomas Ruszkowski are helping to keep interest in these Brandenburg masterpieces alive. The recently introduced change to Local Compass, a content filter designed to reduce spam posts and radical content, aims to enable a wider audience to learn more about the region's beauties and challenges. With all digital publishing, it is important that most articles continue to be published in real time, which ensures the liveliness of the reporting.

So the question remains: How well do you know the Ruhr area? The answer to this could be found on a trip to the Heilenbecke Dam, where the rivers of history come to life.